The rivalry between Ernie Els and Tiger Woods at his prime is something that will be etched in the history books of golf. They faced each other 213 times; out of this, Woods conquered the leaderboard 52 times, while Els won 10 times. But when it comes to the Big Easy and Woods, one event remains in the hearts of golf fans forever: the Mercedes Championship 2000.

In Kapalua, Woods took his ultimate form and finished the second round at 66, eight shots better than the field average. Els did not let his title slip away easily; he roared back with a 67 on Saturday. On Sunday, Tiger faltered, giving way to a bogey at the 71st hole, tying the legends together. Everything depended on the par-5 18th hole.

Woods confidently hit a 3-wood to 8 feet, but Els remained calm and launched a 6-foot hit. Both of them buried their eagles’ putts. It went to the playoffs, when both of them had to putt the par-4 10th hole within the fewest strokes. This is when Woods went beast mode and launched a 40-foot birdie bomb. The Big Easy’s 35-footer rolled heartbreakingly close but stopped just short. This loss still stings, Ernie. However, both of them have a beautiful rivalry filled with mutual respect and appreciation for each other. They both acknowledged each other’s talent after the competition. “I knew he was going to make that putt. You have to expect the best out of the best players.” Woods said about Els’ putt shot at the 18th hole.

Els was also mesmerized by the young talent, and he said something special: “I think he’s a legend in the making. You guys have helped, but he’s backed it up with his golf game. He’s 24. He’s probably going to be bigger than Elvis when he gets into his 40s.” Even before this head-to-head face-off, Woods had immense respect for Els and approached him for advice as a mentor.

During the 1996 Open Championship, Woods approached Big Easy and asked what he thought of his play and whether he was ready to become a pro. To this, Els replied with one word with pure belief and confidence, “Absolutely.” Recently, on the Dan Patrick Show, Els joked about this conversation he had in the locker room: “That was probably one of the biggest mistakes of my life.” I should have said that you just stay at Stanford and get a good job.“

Despite being rivals in the past, now Els has nothing but praise for Woods. In an old interview, praising Woods, Els said, “He was just amazing. Just absolutely amazing talent. I never played with Jack Nicklaus, but obviously they would have had a great rivalry.” Els continued to share how amazed he was watching Tiger Woods play. Els said, “He was just a little bit too good. You know… It pains me to say that, but that’s just a fact.”

Just like his nickname, Ernie has always been an easy-going, humble, and kind person. Surprisingly, Big Easy wishes to play with Woods again.

Ernie Els invites Tiger to Senior PGA Championship

The four-time major champion has not stopped his run yet. The 55-year-old is the reigning Senior PGA Champion, donning this year’s crown at the Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai. The reigning champion has decided to invite his favorite rival to the PGA Senior Tour to make it more challenging and fun. “With that kind of talent, you can probably have a chance here and there until he’s 60 to maybe even have a contention to maybe win a major,” said Big Easy of Woods at the press conference ahead of the PGA Senior Tour Championship.

Woods has achieved the pinnacle of success a golfer could reach. He is an inspiration to the next generation of golfers whose goals and standards of success are set, i.e., to be “Tiger Woods.” Playing on the Seniors Tour would allow him to play while also not applying too much pressure on his body. Woods himself also seems to be excited for the next chapter. In the chat, Perez asked Woods whether he would compete in any championships again. To which Woods exclaimed, “There’s only one thing I want,” and he goes, “I want that US Senior Open trophy.”

So, the prospects of watching a head-to-head face-off with Big Easy and Tiger Woods still exist!